PJM clarifies bishops’ ‘exclusion’ from prayer meet

The article titled “Tagle: No to council to replace President” (Front Page, 3/10/15) contained references to statements made by some members of the Catholic clergy that President Aquino excluded Catholic bishops from the prayer gathering held at Malacañang in the afternoon of March 9, 2015.

We wish to point out that we, the members of the Christian Coalition, requested the prayer gathering with the President, to which he acceded. It was a meeting that was attended by many of our pastors, leaders and elders as an occasion to pray for President Benigno Aquino III, the members of his administration, and our nation amid the problems we are facing, in keeping with Scriptural injunctions. The Palace gave us sole discretion as to who might attend the gathering. It was not meant to be an ecumenical gathering.

We also told the President that we were not part of the “Resign Now” movement and we encouraged him to finish his term of office so that power could be transferred after a fair and honest election in 2016, in keeping with the Constitution and reflective of our maturing democracy.

This clarification is in accord with truth!

—BISHOP LEO P. ALCONGA, national vice chair, and Ramon Orosa, spokesperson-political affairs, Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM)